Indianajones
Object

Staff of Ra Headpiece

The Headpiece (medallion) from the Staff of Ra: recovered from a museum display by Indiana Jones and later fitted onto the Staff of Ra base (Sallah fits its medallion in a moonlit courtyard; Amir deciphers its markings). When mounted atop the Staff of Ra in the Tanis map room and rotated precisely, the headpiece focuses sunlight into a tiny, highly focused sunbeam that sweeps the miniature city model and ignites the single model building that marks the true location beneath the Well of the Souls.
11 appearances

Purpose

Focuses sunlight through its medallion to pinpoint locations on the Tanis map room model when mounted on the Staff of Ra

Significance

Key to finding the Ark in the Well of the Souls; Indy steals it as the quest's objective, its decoding and use shift the plot from rivalry to supernatural peril, vindicating Indy's expertise over Belloq and the Nazis

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

11 moments
S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Headpiece Inspection and Samurai Ambush

The gilded Staff of Ra headpiece is the magnet for the scene: Indy inspects its carved details and the round hollow for a staff, which motivates his presence and the samurai's violent defense. Though not touched in this moment, it functions as the narrative cause of the confrontation.

Before: Nested on purple velvet inside a locked glass display case in Hok's museum, intact and undisturbed.
After: Remains in the glass display case on purple velvet, still protected and not yet seized by Indy.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Whip vs. Blade in Hok’s Museum

The carved gold headpiece is the reason Indy is present and the narrative catalyst for the ambush; it is inspected closely by Indy and framed visually as the prize being fought over, anchoring the museum's protective response.

Before: Seated on purple velvet inside a glass display case, intact and undisturbed.
After: Remains in the glass case, still on display and unobtained at scene's end.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Glass Smash — The Hammer Falls

The Staff of Ra headpiece is the objective of the theft — ceremonial, valuable, and the immediate cause of the alarm when removed. Its seizure crystallizes the stakes: it's both a prize and a provocation that summons lethal response.

Before: Secured inside the display case, on public exhibit and under protective glass.
After: Removed from the case and in Indy's possession, now exposed and the direct cause of triggered defenses.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Fitting the Headpiece — Sallah's Ominous Warning

The Staff-of-Ra headpiece (medallion plus base) is physically assembled by Sallah in this scene, completing a crucial key. It is examined for markings that will align with Tanis's map room mechanism, serving both as a technical instrument and a narrative symbol that escalates the stakes.

Before: Separated into two sections (medallion and base), in Sallah's possession but not yet combined.
After: Now fully assembled and in Sallah's hands; ready for study and to be used as the essential key for locating the Well of the Souls.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Sallah Fits the Headpiece — Belloq's Betrayal and the Ark's Ominous Warning

The assembled Staff of Ra headpiece is the dramatic pivot of the scene: Sallah fits its medallion and base, completes the device, and inspects markings that directly tie to the Tanis map room and the Well of the Souls. Its completion transforms abstract suspicion into actionable intelligence and triggers the moral warning about the Ark.

Before: Separated into two sections (medallion and base), held by Sallah; not yet interpreted.
After: Assembled into a completed headpiece in Sallah's possession; ready to be taken for interpretation and used to locate the Well of the Souls.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Mourning and Resolve in Sallah's Truck

The broken lower section of the Staff of Ra headpiece lies on the table; Amir traces its markings aloud, reading the measurement (ten jamirs plus one) that proves the Nazis' staff is the wrong height. The headpiece functions as the decisive piece of intelligence that converts despair into actionable hope.

Before: On Sallah's truck table, broken at the join, physically present and waiting to be examined.
After: Remains on the table but has been deciphered; its reading has been internalized by the characters and becomes the pivot for their next actions.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Wrong Spot — The Staff Miscalculation

The lower part of the Staff of Ra headpiece sits on the table; Amir traces its break and the contiguous inscription, using it to derive the staff's true height. The headpiece functions as the crucial intelligence artifact that reverses the map-room decision.

Before: Broken lower section of headpiece in Sallah's truck on the table, in possession of the group.
After: Remains on the table, having served its interpretive purpose; still broken and in group custody.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Bad Dates — Dead Monkey, Sudden Threat

The Staff of Ra headpiece lies on the table and is the narrative fulcrum: Amir traces its markings, reads the precise measurements and warning, and its decoded information triggers the men's jubilant celebration that immediately precedes the monkey's death.

Before: On the truck table, intact but broken at the lower section; in Amir's and the men's possession for examination.
After: Remains on the table where it was studied; its decoding now reframes the group's tactical plans.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Sunbeam Confirms the Ark's True Location

The headpiece (ornate sun) functions as the calibration device: Indy tweaks it until the sun motif casts the correct shadow, breaking and focusing sunlight so that a thin beam sweeps the miniature. Its small hole and shadow interplay are the mechanical keys to revealing the target building.

Before: Affixed to the Staff of Ra and catching sunlight at its top; positioned but requiring fine adjustment.
After: Rotated into the precise orientation that causes the revealing beam to strike the glowing model building.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Measure, Sabotage, Escape

Indy removes the Staff of Ra headpiece from the erected staff and immediately conceals it within his robes — a protective theft that secures the single key component the Nazis need to focus sunlight and reveal the Well.

Before: Affixed to the Staff of Ra, visible and accessible in the Map Room.
After: Hidden on Indy's person, tucked inside his robes.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Flag Rope: A Last‑Minute Lifeline

The Staff of Ra headpiece is removed from the full staff by Indy and immediately concealed within his robes, becoming the primary artifact he must protect and smuggle out during the escape.

Before: Affixed atop the erect staff in the Map Room.
After: Hidden in Indy's robes, in his personal possession as he prepares to escape.
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